Delhi Unlock 2021 Begins: Migrant Workers Start Returning as Factories, Construction Sites Resume Operations

During the last 24 hours, 1.32 lakh new Covid-19 cases have been reported across the country while 2,713 patients have died. There are many states where the lockdown has been extended owing to rising cases of Covid-19 infections.

New Delhi: With the second wave of Covid-19 cases slowly declining, migrant workers have started returning to Delhi in search of livelihood. With the capital announcing the unlock phase, all migrant workers are hopeful of life returning to normal again. Permission has been granted by the Delhi government to begin construction work and open factories in the national capital. A large number of migrant workers have started coming back from their native villages in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states at two of the busiest bus terminals — Delhi’s Anand Vihar and Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi bus terminal.

According to bus drivers and transport operators present at the two bus terminals, the number of people returning from their native places has increased during the last three to four days. Several companies in Delhi have started resuming operations. The contractors working for the company are calling the migrant workers back to work. There are also several migrant workers, who, after returning to the national capital will now have to look for work again.

Suraj, a migrant worker returning to Delhi from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, told IANS, “My contractor spoke with me on the phone and told me that since the work has resumed, I should report back to work. However, I had to face a lot of trouble after returning back to Delhi during the lockdown. There was a constant struggle for money, to buy food etc. Now as the work has resumed, I will search for work or else will go back to my native village.”

Dhirendra Yadav returned from Bihar along with his colleagues to the capital as soon as the process of unlocking began. He was informed by his colleagues who have been living in Delhi that work has resumed again. “As I have returned back to Delhi, one has to find work again.”

Pushpendra, a resident of Bulandshahr in UP, said after the lockdown was imposed he had returned to his native village. “Now I have returned back for work. I have been working in a stitching job in a company. I was not doing anything at home but now I am hopeful of getting work in two to four days.”

Sharjeel Ahmed, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, who has returned to Anand Vihar bus terminal, said he had gone home a month ago due to stoppage of work but got information that companies have started resuming operations. “I used to work in a speaker factory. If I have returned to Delhi now, I will search for a job in a factory. If I am unable to find work there then I would look for work elsewhere.”

The financial condition of the people has been severely hit during the Covid-19 pandemic. Millions of people lost their jobs in April and May this year during the second wave of Covid-19. However, as the infections have started declining, the state governments have started providing relief to the people. This is the reason that migrant workers have once again started travelling to big cities in search of work.

(With inputs from IANS)